Can American Pharoah win at the “Graveyard of champions”?
American Pharoah will try to become the only second Triple Crown winner to win the prestigious Travers Stakes. Whirlaway won the 1941 Travers after sweeping the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont Stakes but Man O’ War, Gallant Fox (to long shot Jim Dandy at 100-1) and the great Secretariat were all defeated.
That was then, this is now:
American Pharoah is undefeated against his main rivals Frosted and Texas Red. He has also been running strong at Del Mar. Truth be told, this is probably just a race for second place, and an easy exacta.
The Travers Stakes
Date: Saturday, August 22, 2015
Track: Saratoga Race Course
Turf: Dirt
Distance: 1 1/4 Miles
Age: Three Year Olds and Up
Purse: $1,600,000/$1,250,000
If American Pharoah starts, the Travers purse increases $350,000 to $1.6 million, with the winner earning $850,000.
Travers Stakes Morning Lines
| PP | Horse | Jockey | Trainer | Odds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Upstart | I. Ortiz | R. Violette Jr. | 15-1 |
| 2 | American Pharoah | Espinoza | B. Baffert | 1-5 |
| 3 | Mid Ocean | Franco | G. Weaver | 50-1 |
| 4 | Texas Red | Desormeaux | J. Desormeaux | 8-1 |
| 5 | Frammento | J. Ortiz | N. Zito | 30-1 |
| 6 | Frosted | Rosario | K. McLaughlin | 6-1 |
| 7 | Keen Ice | Castellano | D. Romans | 12-1 |
| 8 | Tale of Verve | Stevens | D. Stewart | 30-1 |
| 9 | King of New York | Leparoux | K. McPeek | 50-1 |
| 10 | Smart Transition | Velazquez | J. Shirreffs | 20-1 |
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Tom Franklin is a senior contributor at US Racing.
